Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a cleaning apparatus and a fixing apparatus using the same, and relates to, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, and a printer using an electrophotographic method.
Description of the Related Art
A fixing apparatus using a heat fixing method may cause an offset phenomenon in fixing a toner image to a recording material. The offset phenomenon refers to adhesion of part of the toner on the recording material to a fixing member (fixing roller). Residual toner remaining on the fixing roller can transfer to the subsequent recording material during fixing processing on the recording material. In particular, to a user who desires a high-quality output product, stain on the output product due to such offset toner is undesirable.
As a countermeasure, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-194986 discusses a fixing apparatus including a mechanism that brings a cleaning web for cleaning and removing residual toner from a fixing roller into contact with the fixing roller to clean the residual toner off the fixing member. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-212409 discusses a fixing apparatus which collects residual toner on a fixing roller by a cleaning roller (collection roller) arranged between a cleaning web and the fixing roller, and cleans the collected toner off the cleaning roller with the cleaning web.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-311517 discusses a fixing apparatus including a cleaning web in which a cutout is formed in a width direction. If a sensor flag to be guided by an edge of the cleaning web falls into the cutout, the fixing apparatus displays an advance end notice of the cleaning web to prompt replacement of the cleaning web.
However, if a cutout (recessed portion) is formed for the purpose of an advance end notice of the cleaning web, part of the cutout (recessed portion) may curl while the cutout is advanced to slide over the roller to be cleaned (fixing member, or cleaning member). If the cleaning web in such a state is nipped between the rollers, part of the cutout (recessed portion) may be folded to cause a rip of the cleaning web, starting from the cutout (recessed portion). In a worst case scenario, the ripped cleaning web may get caught in the rotation of the roller to be cleaned. The thinner the cleaning web, the more likely such a rip is to occur.